Soap Bar Wrapper

ABSTRACT

Soap bars and related items that are not essentially rectangular in shape can be packaged in a single film wrapper to form a substantially rectangular soap bar package. The wrapper is comprised of two juxtaposed off-center films to produce a center two-ply structure and two end regions of a single ply. The soap bar or other item is placed on the two-ply section of the laminate structure which is wrapped laterally around the soap bar or other item. The single ply regions form the longitudinal end panels of the package and close the package. The end edges of the laminate structure overlap on a lower side of the soap bar and are sealed at the overlapping end edges. The two-ply laminate structure forms the top, bottom and connecting side surfaces of the package and the single ply regions the folded over and sealed end surfaces of the package.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to laminate packaging for soap bars and related items. More particularly, the present invention relates to laminate wrappers for soap bar and related items where the portions of the wrapper that extend beyond the longitudinal dimension of the soap bar and related items have a thickness less than that of the remainder of the wrapper.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Soap bars are made in various shapes. These range from a rectangular brick-like shape to a shape with curved ends and edges. Soap bars that essentially are of a rectangular shape with angled edges, i.e. brick-like shape, can readily be wrapped in a thin single layer wrapper. This wrapper will have a uniform thickness. The wrapper will be fully supported by the soap bar, and will take the shape of the soap bar. However, when a soap bar is not essentially rectangular, and has curved edges, the package parts usually must provide some of the shape to the package of the wrapped soap bar. The soap bar primarily will provide the shape to the soap bar package. The wrapper in conjunction with a stiffener then will provide the remaining shape to the packaged soap bar. This particularly is the case in the area of the ends of the soap bar package where there is a transition from a top, bottom and side surface to the folded end surfaces.

The present invention is directed to film laminates that can be used effectively to wrap soap bars to produce a substantially rectangular packaged soap bar when the soap bar is not of a substantially rectangular shape. It is comprised of a single sheet of material that has a multi-layer structure over a substantial portion of its surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to wrapper laminate film materials that can be used to effectively wrap soap bars and related items that are not essentially rectangular into an essentially rectangular package. The wrapper laminate film is comprised of at least two juxtaposed, offset films to produce at least a two-ply film over a major portion, except for the edges that are to form the side panels of the soap bar package. The side panels of the package are the panels that enclose the longitudinal ends of the packaged soap bar. These side panels are of a lesser thickness than the remainder of the wrapper. These are of a lesser ply than the major portion. The films that comprise the package can be monolayer or multilayer films, and can be the same in structure or of a different structure.

The film that is used to package the soap bar is comprised of at least two films. At least two films overlap over a major area of the films to form a two or more ply portion depending on the number of films that are overlapped. In a preferred embodiment there are two films of equal width. These are overlapped in a manner wherein about 40 percent to about 90 percent of the area of the final film is comprised of two film layers with the remnants being a single layer. The area of two layers will have a higher tensile and tear strength and stiffness. The film product is produced by laminating the two films in an offset alignment to produce a center section of two films thickness and end sections of a one film thickness.

This wrapper has the advantage that it is a single film and as such decreases the complexity of wrapping a soap bar or related item. This is in contrast to wrappers that are comprised of two separate pieces, such as being comprised of a separate stiffener material and a separate overwrap material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows two films juxtapositioned in an offset alignment and laminated together to give an area of two-ply and two areas of one-ply.

FIG. 2 shows the laminated film in a blank form illustrating the two-ply and single ply sections.

FIG. 3 shows a soap bar packaged using the laminated film of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described with specific reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the two films that are laminated in a juxtapositioned off-center orientation. The objective is to have a two-ply center section and single ply end sections. The films 10 and 12 are bonded together to give a two-ply center section 22 and single ply end sections 14 and 16. The center section 22 is located between fold points 18 and 20. Beyond fold point 18 and fold point 20 there are single plys 14 and 16. The fold points are where in wrapping a soap bar or other item the film is folded to form another surface. In the present instance the two-ply region 22 will form the top, bottom and connecting longitudinal side surfaces. The single ply end regions 14 and 16 will provide end areas that can be more readily folded closed and sealed to form the end surfaces to complete the packages.

FIG. 2 shows the films laminated together to form a film wrapper blank. The single layer area 22 and the two layer areas 14 and 16 are shown. This film is wrapped laterally around an item, such as a soap bar, where the item generally extends from about fold point 18 to fold point 20. The item may be of a size of slightly less (about 10% less) to slightly more (about 10% more) than the distance between fold points 18 and 20. After the film laminate is wrapped laterally around the item the end regions are folded to form the end closures and sealed. For a soap bar this would be a folding and sealing as currently used in the art.

FIG. 3 shows a packaged soap bar 24 wrapped with the film of FIG. 2. The two layer film area 22 comprises the top, bottom and longitudinal sides of the package. The edges of the two layer film is noted by lines 18 and 20 for illustrative purposes and for any comparison to FIGS. 1 and 2. One of these transition lines will be visible on the package exterior and the other will be on the interior. One package end is shown with film edge 14 forming the folds and seals. Parts 26(a) and 26(b) of film edge 14 are folded inward and parts 28(a) and 28(b) folded over these parts and these folded sections sealed. These will be heat sealed with a heat activated adhesive coated preferably on edge 14 assisting in the seal. This folding and sealing is a conventional technique in forming a soap bar package.

The two films that are laminated together can be of a wide range of materials such as paper, paperboard and plastics. This can be paper/plastic laminates; plastic/paper/plastic laminates; plastic/paperboard laminates; plastic/paperboard/plastic laminates and plastic/plastic laminates. The plastic in the laminates can be a monolayer or a multi-layer laminate of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylacetate, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene vinyl compound copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadiene (ABS), copolymers, polyethylenes, propylenes; including a wide range of differing plastic/plastic laminates. These are laminated together through the use of adhesives such as heat activated adhesives, or through direct heat bonding. Acrylic adhesives are conventionally used on films. Usually lower cost materials will be used for economic reasons.

The films can have a thickness of about 20 microns to about 400 microns, and preferably about 50 microns to about 300 microns. This will provide a sufficient strength and stiffness to this film but yet allow for the folding of the end portions of the laminate film to form the package. The films also can be transparent, translucent or opaque and can be of any color or tint. Usually the film will have printed information such as trademarks and product information. 

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A method of wrapping a soap bar comprising providing a laminate film having a structure which includes a first sheet of film and a second sheet of film, said first sheet of film and said second sheet of film laminated juxtapositioned off-center to provide a center section having a two ply structure with an end section on each side of the center section, each end section having a single ply structure, orienting a soap bar on the laminate film so that the center section of said laminate film will cover a substantial portion of the longitudinal surfaces of said soap bar, laterally wrapping said laminate film around the longitudinal surfaces of said soap bar, folding said single ply end sections to close each end, and sealing the folded single ply sections on each end to produce a fully enclosed and wrapped soap bar.
 22. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein the center section comprises a major portion of said laminate film.
 23. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 22 wherein on each side of the center section, between the center section and each end section, there is a fold line.
 24. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 23 wherein the soap bar may extend to a distance of 10% less than the distance between the fold lines.
 25. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 23 wherein the soap bar may extend to a distance of 10% more than the distance between the fold lines.
 26. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein each of said sheets of film has a thickness of about 20 microns to about 400 microns.
 27. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 26 wherein each of said sheets of film has a thickness of about 50 microns to about 300 microns.
 28. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said sheets of film is comprised of paper, paperboard, polyethylene, polypropylene, biaxially oriented polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers, ethylene-propylene copolymers and ethylene-vinyl compound copolymers.
 29. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 28 wherein the at least one of said sheets of film is biaxially oriented polypropylene.
 30. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 28 wherein both sheets of film are biaxially oriented polypropylene.
 31. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 28 wherein the at least one of said sheets of film is polyethylene terephthalate.
 32. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 28 wherein both sheets of film are polyethylene terephthalate.
 33. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said first sheet of film and said second sheet of film is transparent.
 34. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 33 wherein each of said sheets of film is transparent.
 35. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein said laminate film is transparent.
 36. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein at least one of said first sheet of film and said second sheet of film is tinted.
 37. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein each of said sheets of film is tinted.
 38. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein the end sections have a coating of an adhesive.
 39. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 28 wherein the adhesive is a heat activated adhesive.
 40. A method of wrapping a soap bar as in claim 21 wherein the center section comprises about 40 percent to about 90 percent of the area of the laminate film. 